text:
Second Sight Walkthrough :
This walkthrough for Second Sight [Playstation 2] has been posted at 10 May 2010 by reader45 and is called "FAQ/Walkthrough". If walkthrough is usable don't forgot thumbs up reader45 and share this with your freinds. And most important we have 4 other walkthroughs for Second Sight, read them all!
reader45 |
Walkthrough - FAQ/Walkthrough#### ## # ###### #### #### #### ### ###### ## # ## # ## # ## ## #### ## ## ## ## ## ## # ## ## ## # ## ## ## ### ## # ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ## ### #### # # # # ## # # # ## # # # # ## # # # # ## # # # # # # # # # ## # # # # ##### ###### ### ## # ##### ### ## # #### #### #### #### ######## ## # ## ## # ## ## # ## # ## ## ## ## ## ## ### ## ## ### ####### ## ### # # ## # # # ## # # ## # # # # # # # ## # # # # # ### ### ### ### ### ### Platform: Playstation 2 Free Radical/ Codemasters - Genius at Play Author: The Genius of the Hole (Genius at...get it?) Version: 1.0 E-mail: kayko_2(at)t-online(dot)de =============================================================================== Table of contents =============================================================================== ******************************************************************************* 1) Introduction 2) Psi powers 3) General Game Tips 4) Walkthrough 5) Personal Review 6) Copyright and special thanks ******************************************************************************* 1) Introduction I admit it...this guide should have been completed about a year ago. But it wasn't really my fault. If anyone is to blame then it is the video game industry who released new brilliant games which needed my immediate attention. So, for all of you who have been looking for a guide for this game but where unable to find one: I am sorry. :( But here is the good news: I completed it anyway and here is the complete walkthrough which got me through the game without too much trouble. Read it and enjoy. For those of you who haven't read any of my previous guides: English is NOT my first language, so please overlook any mistakes in spelling or grammar you might spot. I have to admit that I did not invest too much time in finding the best phraseology there is but that was due to the fact that I rushed the completion of this guide in order to get it out into the open. Still I hope you do appreciate my work. =============================================================================== ******************************************************************************* 2) Psi powers Already at the beginning of your first mission John will discover that something 'isn't quite right' with him. You will gradually be equipped with more and more psychic powers which will enable you to ========================================< HEALING ========================================< Well, its obviously for healing... John can use it to accelerate his healing process. But beware! While John is healing he can neither move nor defend himself. Make sure you've brought him to a safe place before using this skill. It can also be used to heal comrades. Simply aim at them like you would with any other skill. But remember: both of you will be left defenseless during the healing process. ========================================< ========================================< TELEKINESIS ========================================< Very handy. Use switches or pick up weapons that are either out of reach or in a dangerous area you don't want to enter yourself. It can also be used for killing people once it has been upgraded, but since you can only lift up one person at a time it might be a very slow solution to most of your hostile problems...there are however situations when you should consider smashing your opponent into the next wall. Don't try and use this skill to rescue comrads, they are likely to end up dying. ========================================< ========================================< PSI BLAST ========================================< Good for confrontations with one or two enemies. After it has been upgraded it can be used to attack more than one enemy, but only from a close range. One of its advantages is the instant kill it can provide, plus it can be used to break the shielding ability of stronger enemies. Remember that. And always remember to give your psi meter time to refill, otherwise you'll run out of 'ammo'. ========================================< ========================================< CHARM ========================================< Those of us who hate shoot-outs or brainless killing will take a liking in this skill. Cross difficult areas without being seen, avoid detection and calm restless minds by using this ability on other people. Simply aim at them and use your power. You should note that if you are trying to sneak past someone you should avoid contact with another person at any cost. You will immediately get visible if you touch someone. It is also not possible to use charm if you are in sight of anyone. This will wipe out your psi meter! Apart from that: nice and handy. But remember: you cannot charm cameras! ========================================< ========================================< PROJECTION ========================================< You just have to looove that skill. Not only will it enable you to check out areas in advance without being seen or use objects from a distance when your telekinesis won't work, it will also allow you to engage into shoot-outs without taking any damage yourself. Simply project into one of your enemies and borrow his gun. He might even get caught up in a shootout after you've already left his body. You can even use this ability to make an enemy kill himself. You should however always make sure that John is tucked away safely while he is using projection. His body will be left defenseless where he left it. You should also take note that if John's body is being attacked his mind will immediately return to it. ========================================< =============================================================================== ******************************************************************************* 3) General Game Tips Well, first of all: check out the SECTION about the PSI POWERS, there are some tips about how to make the best use of your special abilities. Apart from that: # Don't rush it unless you have to - Unless you are using charm or are under immediate threat by an enemy you will quite often have the time to think about your next step. It is also advisable to use projection before entering an unknown area. This way you won't be discovered by any camera or enemy and have enough time to count your opponents or check out the security measures ahead. # Hold it right there, cowboy - guns do make a lot of noise and will alarm enemies to your presence. Also, always start with the weakest gun, you might need a stronger one later on and it would be rather annoying to be out of ammo just when you need it. # Three ways to go - while this game is meant to be played as mixture of genres it is possible to either take on enemies head-on thereby reducing the gaming experience to an average shooter game, take the sneaky way as in any normal stealth game, or make use of your psi powers only. A healthy mixture will probably bring the most fun, but I guess everyone has a particular preference - and sometimes the situation requires a certain approach. # Don't be so narrow-minded - there is almost always more than one solution to a problem. If shooting causes you to die, try sneaking past, if your psi power does let you down, use a strong gun. Try different combinations. Be flexible, and if you get stuck and don't know how to handle a situation, zap through your abilities until you find one that appears to be useful. # A healthy body carries a healthy mind - While you shouldn't forget to heal in between (if in trouble John dies easily) this comes with a caution. Make sure you are in a safe place when you do so and DON'T RELY ON YOUR HEALING POWER FOR TOO MUCH! It is not a good idea to put John in the middle of a shoot- out thinking he can heal when ever he needs to. Always heal before entering an unknown area. # Walk in someone else's shoes - if possible never engage in a shoot-out yourself. Possess, possess, possess. A really handy ability. Anything else? Hm, can't think of anything right now. Maybe later... =============================================================================== ******************************************************************************* 4) Walkthrough ========================================< ISOLATION ========================================< You will start in a room that looks like a hospital. Check out the door to your left and you will find a switch on the other side of the glass. Since your telekinesis skill will already be selected all you have to do is use it by holding R1 and pressing R2 once the switch is surrounded by a blue circle. Leave the room and test your new skill on the objects available. Then leave through the next door. Leave the second room as well and you will receive your second ability. Exit the small room and you will be in a corridor where you will encounter your very first enemies. You can either take John's advice and scare them away, or run straight at them and beat them up. The second option might be the better one because once they've got a grip on themselves they'll be back and hunt you. Those guys die easily just give them a good beating. Then turn right at one of the two options and approach the doctor. There is no use talking to him. Kick him once and he will die leaving a security pass for you to pick up.(Note: this security pass can also be obtained from one of the guards.) Leave the area and go back to the corridor. Use your security pass on the door to the left/ straight ahead of you (not the elevator) and enter. (You'll might have to deal with the guards first if you've just scared them away). Cross the room and go through the doors to find the computer you where looking for. Use it, but take care of the doctor first. Check out the map and the yellow field to the elevator. Press x to get the code you need for your escape. Then leave the screen and the room to backtrack your steps to the elevator. Make sure you are healed completely (the level won't end otherwise) and then make John enter the code. Enter the elevator. ========================================< ========================================< PREPARATION ========================================< Watch the cutscene and then follow the path ahead to find your instructor. Follow him down the hallway and down the stairs, then immediately turn left. Turn right at the end of this corridor to reunite with the instructor. Ok, if you are have difficulties with this part of the game, you better return it to the shop because you are not going to make it through anyway. Simply push the left analogue stick forward until you reach the end of the area. Do the same to climb up the ladder to your left. Knee down to get through the tunnel, then move on. Up the ladder to the left and press x to let yourself down. Move over to the left and pull yourself up again. Go down the ladder to meet your instructor. Easy as pie, isn't it? This next part is not difficult either. You can simply wait behind the first crate without leaning against it. Once your instructor is passed the middle and turns right to approach your position simply stay low and rush straight to the tunnel entrance. He won't see you. Follow the pipes. There is only one way through. Now you will come to your first challenge. Watch the guards and when you are sure that no-one is looking stay low and run to the right. Hide behind the crate to the right. Now watch the guard in the middle (the one closest to your position). As soon as he looks to the right. Move on to the next crate and hide behind it on its right side. Now wait until the guard watches the area straight ahead of him and rush forward to drop down into the ditch. Follow it around and focus your attention on the guard in the next area. You will only be able to see him now or then, but when you do, prepare to pull yourself up. As soon as he turns and moves away climb up and rush behind the crate to your right. Remain there until he returns. Again, only move once he moves on. Rush straight to the exit to the right. He won't see you if you start walking straight away. All you got to do in this next yard is to stay low underneath the windows and cross over to the other side. Then head through the gate and leave. Follow the corridor and you will get your first gun. Shooting in this game is pretty much foolproof, just follow the instructions and you will at least be able to hit a target. Most normal enemies in the game will go down after two or three shots. 250 shouldn't be a problem at all. Follow your instructor into the next room to your right (when facing the range). Take your time for this next part. Don't take any unnecessary risks, it's enough to jump out and fire a single shot. You will get them eventually one at a time. Follow the instructor. Follow the corridor and activate the door. Now step outside. You can take three of your enemies out without leaving your position near the door. A fourth one will jump out from the last wall to the left so prepare to shoot him. Climb up the ladder and go through the tunnel and into the next area. The good thing about this aiming system is that it shows you enemies before you can even see them. Point your gun and move along the wall to the left and it should show you a guard behind the wooden planks to the left. Shoot him and climb up. Stay at the bottom of the ladder and simply shoot the guard to the left. Then enter the tunnel to the right and go through. Once you reach the other end make sure you aim well and you can shoot the guard from down there. Now all you have to do is shoot the guards one at a time from behind the first crate. Don't forget the one to the right you can see in the next yard. He hasn't been there before. Then climb into the ditch and shoot the last guard in this area. Leave through the gate. The guard here will have left his building and will hide behind the wall. Simply point your gun and move slowly towards the gate. He'll come out eventually so make sure to be fast. Exit. +#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+ Here is a little extra sent in by Mike Castrinasto: -After completing the pistol training in the second level, go back to the very beginning of the level...the door there is now unlocked. Collect the gun and continue to the next training course. Shoot at least one person there with the real gun and you can proceed past the gate that would normally end your training. Now you get to face a ~Super Stark~! I'm very confident that he can not be killed, but it is fun to try. Besides having infinite life, he has an infinite clip--in other words, HE NEVER RELOADS!! Constant gunfire; crazy. - Note that this information has not yet been double-checked, but I consider this source reliable. +#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+#+ Turn around and follow the corridor to the left to reach your next instructor. This part is basically the same as your previous training with a gun just with a sniper rifle. No problem here either since the aiming will be done automatically. Just zoom in and pull the trigger and you will get through this. Watch the cutscene. ========================================< ========================================< EXPERIMENTATION ========================================< Ok, that's it for the foreplay. You'll be thrown into the real action now. Watch the cutscene and then head over to the dead guard. Pick up his gun and use the computer. Switch off every single camera, open the door and check out the map of the area. Check out the rest of the room if you like, but apart from some copies there is nothing interesting here. Leave the room through the door opposite the elevator and follow the corridor. Enter the next room. Do not choose to fight! You'll end up dying and I think they might just keep on coming. Instead cross the room straight and jump over anything in your way. You should see some orange boxes on the floor near the wall. Kick them aside to reveal a vent. Duck and get in there as fast as you can. That's this problem solved. Once on the next corridor don't enter the door to your right, it will lead you straight back to the shooting police officers. If you have been shot proceed until you see a locker to your right. Get in there and heal. (You can heal without getting in there but it's good to get used to hiding away.) Exit the corridor through the door ahead. CHECKPOINT Ignore the guy talking. Instead select your psi blast and aim it at the guard to your right. This should take him out in one hit. Enter the room he's been guarding. Go through the corridor and get your psi blast ready. In the next area there will be a guard in the corridor to your right. Take him out and enter the room immediately to your right in this corridor. Cross it and go through the next door to get a cut-scene. That's your new charm ability discovered. And a CHECKPOINT Charm your way past the guard. Make sure you're standing upright in order not to waste any time on sneaking. Charm is a very helpful ability, but it runs out pretty fast. Hide behind the cage with the gorilla to recharge your psi meter. (You can actually use charm to calm the animal down.) Approach the door on top of the ramp using charm, but hide behind the wall to recharge your meter before entering. Select psi blast and use it immediately on the doctor to take him out before he can raise an alarm. Then pick up the security pass to the right. Leave the room the way you came and use charm to get passed the guard. Make sure you keep an eye on your meter and stop in a safe place if you have to. The guard will now be standing between those black barriers, so don't overlook him or run into him. Go back to the corridor with the offices made of glass and go to the position where you killed the guard. You should find a gun and a door to your left. Enter and follow the corridor until it takes a turn to the left. Use the door and put charm on to approach the computer. Seen from the entrance its in the back of the room to the left (the second counted from the outside windows). ========================================< ========================================< FIELDWORK ========================================< This is basically a shooting mission. Take cover and shoot at anything that moves. As simple as that. Zoom in and pull the trigger, then follow the rest of the group. CHECKPOINT Pick up any guns you might find on the ground. Take down a couple of snipers and you will be told to chase after Wilde. Follow her to the left using the obstacles as cover. You'll come to a small building. Enter to find out why she ran away. After the cutscene you'll get a CHECKPOINT Follow the corridor and climb up the ladder. Then go up the stairs. Enter the room at the end of the catwalk for a medikit, a gun and a note. Go back to the catwalk and use the ladder to the left. Pull the lever and climb back down. Great, now she's done it again. Rush down the stairs to rescue the lady. False alarm, but don't relax too much. For a civilian advisor the lady is pretty much out for trouble. Follow her and take cover behind the machine to the left (not the one Wilde is using).Simply aim to the right with your pistol to get a good shot and almost two soldiers for the price of one since they will position themselves at exactly the same spot. Pick up their guns you'll might need them later on. Proceed and use the machine in the middle as cover. Then simply get up and put two bullets into the guy standing in the middle of the room. Follow Wilde who will run through the door ahead. Use the medikit if you have to or at least remember its position in case you'll need to use it later. Follow the corridor until you hear a voice giving orders. This is the time to get the Sowjet rifle out. Shoot everyone in this room, then take your time to pick up all the weapons before you use the ladder. Follow Wilde through the doorway and use the medikit on the wall if you need to. Then enter the control room and use the computer to the right. Wilde will find out the password, so use the computer again. Use both icons to get the information you need. You'll receive a transmission from Starke. And a visit from some angry soldiers. CHECKPOINT Follow Wilde outside and blast away with your guns. Remember that there is a medikit in the corridor near the control room if you need it. Once done with those guys go down the ladder and follow Wilde through the door that had been locked before. Use the medikit if you need to. Prepare for a shoot out in the next room. Once they are all down your reinforcement will come. Pick up the guns before approaching him. ========================================< ========================================< ESCAPE ========================================< Make sure you immediately select charm after the cutscene ends. Use it and run over to the desk closest to the door you entered the room through. Knee down and recharge your psi meter. Two guards will enter one after another and search the room. A third one might join them if you wait for too long. Keep an eye on the both of them and use charm the second you assume someone could see you. When your psi meter is full and the guards are in a position where you can sneak past them take your chances. Don't sneak! You psi meter won't last long enough otherwise and you can only activate the doors while standing. Exit the room as fast as you can but try not to run into the guard on the corridor. Immediately turn left. Your psi energy will run out any moment so rush to the elevator and activate it. Once inside you'll be safe for a moment. CHECKPOINT Approach the red beams and a cutscene will show you your new ability. Handy! Immediately run to the place your projection just went to and use the switch. Then wait in that niche. You've just turned the beams back on. This will not only prevent any guards from following you, it will also calm them down. Wait until they leave. Use the time to project again and move further down the corridor. See the green button? It will switch off the camera, so use it. Repeat the projection thing and switch any green buttons which you can reach (5 of them I believe), including the one behind the red laser beams further down the corridor. You should just be able to reach it before your psi meter runs out. Then return to John in order to proceed. Walk up to the wall next to the second corridor to the left. No-one should be able to see you up to this position if you've switched off all the cameras. Now use charm and run straight to where the red beams had been. Prepare to switch to psi blast immediately and take out the guard which is patrolling this part of the corridor. Make sure you don't raise an alarm here since you won't be able to proceed if you do. If you are lucky he'll be around the corner, this will give you a moment to rest. Simply crouch behind the crate and recharge your psi meter. Once he is out you should have any time in the world to get the elevator to the right working. Do it like this: Activate the door and get onto the platform. Now project and leave the elevator. Go to the right and use the switch on the console. Return to your body and watch the elevator going up. CHECKPOINT That's you psi blast upgraded. (Pretty useless if you ask me - only useful if your enemies are really close, but since they will be shooting at you, you are as good as dead if you are surrounded like this...) Anyway, take my advice and use the gun you hopefully took from the security guard downstairs and shoot those guards on the ground. Sounds cruel, but you'll be in a hell of a shootout any moment and they'll be back on their feet shooting you in the back if you don't. Pick up every weapon you find you will need the ammo. Now use charm and proceed to the crate on the ramp and knee down. Get a gun out and take out those guards. It should take them by surprise, but don 't relax, there will be plenty where those came from. Follow the ramps and shoot every guard along the way. Its the only useful option anything else will take too long and you won't be able to posses people yet (for all I know). Heal if you need to but be aware that they will come for you so you should retreat before you do. Once on the upper floor shoot at the guard in the security booth. This will cause him to come out. Shoot him and wait for two more guards to appear behind the fence. Once they are out, go into the booth and use the switch. Go through the fence and prepare for another shootout. Forget about stealth or hiding here. The easiest thing to do is mow them down with a SMG. Pick up all the guns afterwards and step onto the elevator. Project and use the switch. Return to your body and go up. Stay near the crate and a guard will open fire. Kill him from a distance. You can stay near that crate to take another two down. One is up the ramp to your left and another one to the right behind one of those pillars. Make your way up the ramp aiming at those pillars to the right from where two or three guards will come. Once they are out get back down and follow the corridor further up the ramps killing guards along your way. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Note: there is a ladder to the left when you are up the ramp where the guard had been hiding. It leads to some laser beams which are blocking a way to your getaway car. I tried projecting through a couple of times but I just couldn't find the switch to turn those beams off. If you are more lucky let me know, because I am pretty sure this is the stealth route to avoid the shootouts on the way up. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Cause a massacre at the top level, then you are done here. If you are keen on a assault rifle go down the ladder to the left and use the next ladder to the right to get to a seemingly useless area. However, if you knee down and check out the wall to the left you'll find the rifle on the ground. You won't be able to pick it up unless you use telekinesis. Done here return to the parking lot and get into the car. ========================================< ========================================< MADNESS ========================================< First of all climb up the tower you see in front of you and follow the catwalk to the right. Use telekinesis through the grating you see in front of you (might take a couple of attempts before you will lock on to something) and get the key for the shed. Now climb over the railing and make your way to the other side of the grating. You will find a switch which you can use to switch off the spot and a sniper rifle. Then make your way back to the ladder and climb down again. Use charm to get past the guards and cross the yard until you reach the main building. Drop down in any of the holes on the upper terrace (the ones with the stairs leading down) and recharge your psi meter. Once it has recharged completely run back up again (using charm) and had to the left corner of this terrace. Watch out for the guards! You will find a shed here with a shotgun. Pick it up and recharge your psi meter while you are still in the shed. (Take care not to be seen by any guards). Now head back to the holes in the ground (the ones with the stairs) and get into the right one. There is an open window which you can use to climb in. A cutscene will play in which your telekinesis ability will be upgraded - you will now be able to use it as a weapon. CHECKPOINT Head down the corridor to the left and you will encounter the second nurse. Take care of him, pick up the key he will drop and follow the stairs to the right. Turn left and left again until you come to some stairs leading up. Go upstairs and open the door. Don't do anything stupid up here. These guys don't know who you are and unless you do anything suspicious (like killing anyone)they will ignore you. Just head up to the table in the middle of the room and you will find a piece of paper. Check it out and then go to the computer to the right. Use it to unlock the door on the upper level and to find out where your friend is (hard disk). Note that there are a couple of books in this room which you could read if you want to, but they are not really of any use to you. Now go to the ladder which is on the last of the bookshelves to the left (seen from the computer) and climb all the way up. Use the door you just unlocked. Follow the corridor but do ignore the door to the right. Instead check out the wall to its left in order to find a vent you can use to get to the next ward. At the other end of the vent stay inside and use telekinesisto kill the nurse safely. Once he is dead get out of the vent and make your way down the stairs. But careful there are two more nurses along the way. You can kill each of them using telekinesis even from one level above. Downstairs read the documents and then prepare to take out a guard. Telekinesis will do. Get his gun and take out the nurse who might show up as well. Now proceed down the corridor. Once you have reached a doorway knee down and switch to your charm ability. Cross the room using charm and wait in the safe corridor for your psi meter to refill. Use charm and run into the doorway ahead. Don't go down the stairs remain on the catwalk and follow it to its end. Open the door and go inside. You will find a key card here. Pick it up and refill your psi meter. Back outside you might want to return to the doorway through which you got into the main room in the first place. Wait there until your psi meter is completely recharged again, then head down the stairs and run past the doctor and make your way to the locked door at the far end. Use the card reader next to it and then be quick to use the door. This will be close, your psimeter might just run out when you make it through. Refill your psi meter and just head on. CHECKPOINT Head down the corridor and a you will hear an announcement. Don't worry they don't mean you. But nevertheless use charm to cross the large room and run into the corridor ahead. Turn right and you will see a nurse on a corridor. Use charm to get closer and closer to him using the doorways to the left to refill your psi meter. He will soon leave his position. Ignore him for now and jump up instead (you will get the option to do so once you are close to his position). Now get into the vent you see ahead and follow it to the far end. There is a doctor inside a room. Use telekinesis to kill him. Now go back to where you came from and use the other intersection there is. In the first to dead-ends all you can do is to scare some guards. In the last one however, you will be able to kill a guard. Do so and then get back to the exit. Leave the vent and turn your attention towards the computer desk you saw from one of the dead-ends inside the vent. Use project to check out whether there is any guard around and use the computer. You will get the password for the first floor. The nurse you saw earlier will take up his former position sooner or later. Remain in your position above the ground and use telekinesis to kill him. Now project again to make sure the area is clear before you get back on the ground. Facing the computer desk you will see a doorway to the left, a corridor to the right and a doorway leading to a corridor right from the computer desk. Use the doorway right from the desk and use charm to run past a guard. Get into the third doorway on the left and refill your psimeter. Now switch to telekinesis and kill the guard the moment he walks past the doorway you are in. Once he is dead peek around the corner to the left and you will see a camera near the ceiling. Wait until it is facing to the right, then use charm to get to the keypad underneath it. Use it while you are still using your charm ability and get through the gate it opens. Run upstairs. CHECKPOINT This next part can be hard until you figure out how to deal with the situation. If you raise an alarm it can be really hard to stay alive, so you better manage to do this in one go. Here is what worked well for me: Get close to the next doorway, but do not enter! Now hide behind the wall next to it and use projection. In the next area ahead you will find a lot of doors. Some of them have red switches next to them some green ones. Use all the ones that are red. This will release the inmates of the asylum. Now return to yourself and switch to charm. Once your psi meter |


text:
Find a copy in the library
Finding libraries that hold this item...
Genre/Form: | Science fiction Science fiction, American Fiction |
Additional Physical Format: | Online version: Card, Orson Scott. Ender in exile. New York : Tor, 2008 (OCoLC)650035586 |
Named Person: | Ender Wiggin, (Fictitious character) |
Material Type: | Fiction, Internet resource |
Document Type: | Book, Internet Resource |
All Authors / Contributors: |
Orson Scott Card; John Harris |
OCLC Number: | 223884539 |
Notes: | "A Tom Doherty Associates book." Cover art by John Harris. |
Description: | 380 p. ; 24 cm. |
Responsibility: | Orson Scott Card. |
More information: |
Publisher Synopsis
"An affecting novel full of surprises." --"The New York Times Book Review "on "Ender's Game""The novels of Orson Scott Card's Ender series are an intriguing combination of action, military and political strategy, elaborate war games and psychology." --"USA Today""Card's prose is powerful here, as is his consideration of mystical andquasi-religious themes. Though billed as the final Ender novel, this storyleaves enough mysteries unexplored to justify another entry; and Card fansshould find that possibility, like this novel, very welcome indeed." "--Publishers Weekly "(starred review) on "Children of the Mind""Orson Scott Card made a strong case for being the best writer science fiction has to offer." --"The ""Houston"" Post "on" Xenocide" """There aren't too many recent sf novels we can confidently call truly moral works, but "Speaker for the Dead" is one. It's a completely gripping story." --"The Toronto Star""" "An undeniable heavyweight . . . This book combines Card's quirky style with his hard ethical dilemmas and sharply drawn portraits." "--New York Daily News "on "Ender's Game""This is Card at the height of his very considerable powers--a major SF novel by any reasonable standard." --"Booklist" on "Ender's Game" Read more...
WorldCat User Reviews (2)
The Ender Saga Continues
Card, Orson Scott ~ Ender in Exile ~ TOR, 2008 ~ 369 pages ~ adults, some teens.
"You understand that during the recent attempt by the Warsaw pact to take over the International Fleet, our sole concern at EducAdmin was the safety of the children. Now we are finally able...
Read more...
Card, Orson Scott ~ Ender in Exile ~ TOR, 2008 ~ 369 pages ~ adults, some teens.
"You understand that during the recent attempt by the Warsaw pact to take over the International Fleet, our sole concern at EducAdmin was the safety of the children. Now we are finally able to begin working out the logistics of sending the children home."
The Ender universe of books and stories has become a large one. This new volume, which takes place immediately after Ender's Game, "mostly takes place between chapters 14 and 15" of that work.
Given the popularity and critical acclaim of Ender's Game, Ender in Exile is an automatic selection for virtually all libraries. It fills gaps and provides further insight in Ender's and Valentine's character [less so for her], values, hopes, and guilt [Ender]. The story itself follows Ender as he is sent away from Earth to become governor [as an early teen] of a new colony, Shakespeare. Later, he will go to another colony, Ganges, to help solve a problem that threatens both to kill him and destroy his legacy. There is little action, but much world-building and character exploration. Will Ender's role as governor be ended by the much older starship captain before it begins ? Will Ender's legacy be destroyed by an increasingly successful campaign to portray him as a murderer? Ender is nearly overwhelmed by guilt for destroying an intelligent race whose communication method caused it to not to see that humans were an intelligent race. This touches on everything he does. But there is also a clear sense of the difference between leadership and command adding to the appeal of the work. Clearly, Ender is a leader and a very good one. However, he needs to value himself a bit more.
Given its relationship to Ender's Game, and the author's intention to revise the earlier work to fit better with the story here, this is an essential addition to the Ender universe. The story itself will interest, especially for those who wish to know more about what happened to Ender at the end of the war. The author provides an Afterword where he clearly provides both the rationale and the context for this story. He also notes the importance of the Ender's Game Companion which should be released soon. The book is easily read. Cover art by John Harris is a bit muddy but shows a space ship against what may be an urban or a somewhat abstract background. It clearly denotes the genre.
- Was this review helpful to you?
This book kept me guessing
Ender in exile is a sequel like no other. It brings together plot pieces from Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, ...
Read more...
Ender in exile is a sequel like no other. It brings together plot pieces from Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, Shadow of the Hegemon, Shadow Puppets, Shadow of the Giant, Speaker for the Dead, and various enderverse short stories in a coherent, unexpected and interesting form.
I finished the book in 4 days, despite working a full-time job. I highly recommend reading the rest of the Ender series first to get a complete picture of what's going on, but you don't have to. I started with Ender's Shadow even though the other ender books came first & I'm a huge fan.
This book kept me coming back for more. Finally the two series are connected again!
- Was this review helpful to you?
All user tags (6)
- ender (by 1 person)
- ender books (by 1 person)
- ender's game (by 1 person)
- ender's shadow (by 1 person)
- enderverse (by 1 person)
- orson scott card (by 1 person)
- 1 items are tagged withender
- 1 items are tagged withender books
- 1 items are tagged withender's game
- 1 items are tagged withender's shadow
- 1 items are tagged withenderverse
- 1 items are tagged withorson scott card
Similar Items
Related Subjects:(1)
User lists with this item (18)
- books read(265 items)
by miniaturebookshelf updated 2013-09-04
- Things I Own(63 items)
by tinekestruthers updated 2013-03-27
- Things I've Read(141 items)
by tinekestruthers updated 2013-03-27
- Card, Orson Scott(200 items)
by Bandana_Man updated 2012-12-30
- Things to Check Out(36 items)
by Stonkey updated 2012-11-02

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Manufacturer: Ansur
Model: Amigo Treeless Saddle
Category: Dressage Saddles
Purchase: I purchased the Ansur Amigo five years ago for my very wide, short, flat backed Arabian mare. I paid $2,500
With a traditional treed saddle we had some rearing issues during mounting as even the wide tree saddles would pinch her.
Having her thoroughly checked out by our vet, we determined it was a reaction to pain.
After not finding a traditional treed saddle that fit her without pinching, I decided to try the Ansur.
Likes: I have been riding in this saddle for 5 years and never had any issues. My horse didn't rear from the first time I mounted her in the Ansur( always from a mounting block)
My mare moves well, has a relaxed stride, has the freedom to move full in the shoulder area. Ive ridden 10 mile trail rides and I myself have never been sore, nor has my horse. The saddle is so comfortable.
You can really feel your horse moving under you and in my case my horse really responds to my seat and legs.
Sometime I will ride her in my friends ultra wide warmblood saddle and I notice a huge difference in her stride. Its short and choppy and she pins her ears, and fusses the whole ride.
Dislikes: There is nothing about the saddle itself I do not like.
However I have had a hard time finding the right pad. As the treeless saddle doesn't have a gullet most dressage pads have a "spine" with stitching.
I recently bought the Thinline contour dressage pad and that works fantastically.
Also because there is no tree, mounting from the ground can be tricky,the saddle slips a little.
I also learned how to be a very balanced rider, the saddle did tend to slip to my stronger left side. I learnt really fast how to equally balance my weight.
Quality: The Ansur Amigo is made of high quality leather and still looks great after 5 solid years of use.
It comes with removable knee blocks, which give a lot of security if needed.
Summary: This is a very comfortable saddle for rider and horse, however don't buy one if you need the stability of a treed saddle. But in time you will develop a very good seat and not rely on the saddle for stability.
Very well made and definitely worth the money.
Rating: 5
Author: emma
Date: 0000-00-00
Usefulness Rating: 2 out of 5.
4 reader(s) voted.
Passier Corona Dressage Saddles
Exselle Exselle Square Raised Bridle and Reins Dressage Saddles
Passier Sirius Dressage Saddles
Black Country Vinici Dressage Saddles
Otto schumacher Profi exklusif Dressage Saddles
Schleese Wave Dressage Saddles
Prestige United Elastic Dressage Saddles
Wintec Isabell CAIR Dressage Saddles
Wintec Dressage Pro Dressage Saddles
Bates Innova Standard Contour Block Dressage Saddles
County Competitor Dressage Saddles
Wintec Pro w/Cair Dressage Saddles
Thornhill Pro-Am Dressure Dressage Saddles
Hildalgo Sattel Hidalgo Venice I Dressage saddle Dressage Saddles
Heritage (bespoke) Saddlery The Cheshire County" VSD Saddle. Dressage Saddles
Ascot Dressage Saddle Dressage Dressage Saddles
Hildalgo Sattel vienna 1 Dressage Saddles
M. Toulouse Larissa Genesis Dressage Saddles
Windsor Elite Dressage Dressage Saddles
Kieffer Malmo Dressage Saddles


text:
Jack Brabham
Jack Brabham in 1966, the year of his final world championship
Born | Hurstville, New South Wales, Australia |
2 April 1926
Died | 19 May 2014 Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia |
(aged 88)
Formula One World Championship career | |
Nationality | Australian |
Active years | 1955–1970 |
Teams | Cooper, Rob Walker Racing Team and Brabham |
Races | 128 (126 starts) |
Championships | 3 (1959, 1960, 1966) |
Wins | 14 |
Podiums | 31 |
Career points | 253 (261)[note 1] |
Pole positions | 13 |
Fastest laps | 12 |
First race | 1955 British Grand Prix |
First win | 1959 Monaco Grand Prix |
Last win | 1970 South African Grand Prix |
Last race | 1970 Mexican Grand Prix |
Sir John Arthur "Jack" Brabham, AO, OBE (2 April 1926 – 19 May 2014) was an Australian racing driver who was Formula One champion in 1959, 1960, and 1966. He was a founder of the Brabham racing team and race car constructor that bore his name.
Brabham was a Royal Australian Air Force flight mechanic and ran a small engineering workshop before he started racing midget cars in 1948. His successes with midgets in Australian and New Zealand road racing events led to his going to the United Kingdom to further his racing career. There he became part of the Cooper Car Company's racing team, building as well as racing cars. He contributed to the design of the mid-engined cars that Cooper introduced to Formula One and the Indianapolis 500, and won the Formula One world championship in 1959 and 1960. In 1962 he established his own Brabham marque with fellow Australian Ron Tauranac, which became the largest manufacturer of customer racing cars in the world in the 1960s. In 1966 Brabham became the first – and still the only – man to win the Formula One world championship driving one of his own cars.
Brabham retired to Australia after the 1970 Formula One season, where he bought a farm and maintained business interests, which included the Engine Developments racing engine manufacturer and several garages.[1]
Early life[edit]
John Arthur 'Jack' Brabham was born on 2 April 1926 in Hurstville, then a commuter town outside Sydney, Australia. Brabham was involved with cars and mechanics from an early age. At the age of 12, he learned to drive the family car and the trucks of his father's grocery business. Brabham attended technical college, studying metalwork, carpentry, and technical drawing.[2]
Brabham's early career continued the engineering theme. At the age of 15 he left school to work, combining a job at a local garage with an evening course in mechanical engineering. Brabham soon branched out into his own business selling motorbikes, which he bought and repaired for sale, using his parents' back veranda as his workshop.[3]
One month after his 18th birthday on 19 May 1944 Brabham enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Although he was keen on becoming a pilot, there was already a surplus of trained aircrew and the Air Force instead put his mechanical skills to use as a flight mechanic, of which there was a wartime shortage. He was based at RAAF Station Williamtown, where he maintained Bristol Beaufighters at No. 5 Operational Training Unit. On his 20th birthday, 2 April 1946, Brabham was discharged from the RAAF with the rank of leading aircraftman. He then started a small service, repair, and machining business in a workshop built by his uncle on a plot of land behind his grandfather's house.[4]
Racing career[edit]
Brabham started racing after an American friend, Johnny Schonberg, persuaded him to watch a midget car race. Midget racing was a category for small open-wheel cars racing on dirt ovals. It was popular in Australia, attracting crowds of up to 40,000. Brabham records that he was not taken with the idea of driving, being convinced that the drivers "were all lunatics" but he agreed to build a car with Schonberg.[4]
At first Schonberg drove the homemade device, powered by a modified JAP motorcycle engine built by Brabham in his workshop. In 1948, Schonberg's wife persuaded him to stop racing and on his suggestion Brabham took over. He almost immediately found that he had a knack for the sport, winning on his third night's racing. From there he was a regular competitor and winner in Midgets (known as Speedcars in Australia) at tracks such Sydney's Cumberland Speedway, the Sydney Showground, and the Sydney Sports Ground, as well as interstate tracks such as Adelaide's Kilburn and Rowley Park speedways and the Ekka in Brisbane. Brabham has since said that it was "terrific driver training. You had to have quick reflexes: in effect you lived—or possibly died—on them."[5] Due to the time required to prepare the car, the sport also became his living. Brabham won the 1948 Australian Speedcar Championship, the 1949 Australian and South Australian Speedcar championships, and the 1950–1951 Australian championship with the car.[6]
After successfully running the midget at some hillclimbing events in 1951, Brabham became interested in road racing. He bought and modified a series of racing cars from the Cooper Car Company, a British constructor, and from 1953 concentrated on this form of racing, in which drivers compete on closed tarmac circuits. He was supported by his father and by the Redex fuel additive company, although his commercially aware approach—including the title RedeX Special painted on the side of his Cooper-Bristol—did not go down well with the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), which banned the advertisement.[7] Brabham competed in Australia and New Zealand until early 1955, taking "a long succession of victories", including the 1953 Queensland Road Racing championship.[6] During this time, he picked up the nickname "Black Jack", which has been variously attributed to his dark hair and stubble, to his "ruthless" approach on the track,[8] and to his "propensity for maintaining a shadowy silence".[9] After the 1955 New Zealand Grand Prix, Brabham was persuaded by Dean Delamont, competitions manager of the Royal Automobile Club in the United Kingdom, to try a season of racing in Europe, then the international centre of road racing.[10]
On arriving in Europe on his own in early 1955, Brabham based himself in the UK, where he bought another Cooper to race in national events. His crowd-pleasing driving style initially betrayed his dirt track origins: as he put it, he took corners "by using full [steering] lock and lots of throttle".[11] Visits to the Cooper factory for parts led to a friendship with Charlie and John Cooper, who told the story that after many requests for a drive with the factory team, Brabham was given the keys to the transporter taking the cars to a race.[12] Brabham soon "seemed to merge into Cooper Cars":[13] he was not an employee, but he started working at Cooper daily from the midpoint of the 1955 season building a Bobtail mid-engined sports car, intended for Formula One, the top category of single seater racing.[note 2] He made his Grand Prix debut at the age of 29 driving the car at the 1955 British Grand Prix. It had a 2-litre engine, half a litre less than permitted, and ran slowly with a broken clutch before retiring.[13][14] Later in the year Brabham, again driving the Bobtail, tussled with Stirling Moss for third place in a non-championship Formula One race at Snetterton. Although Moss finished ahead, Brabham sees the race as a turning point, proving that he could compete at this level. He shipped the Bobtail back to Australia, where he used it to win the 1955 Australian Grand Prix before selling it to help fund a permanent move to the UK the following year with his wife Betty and their son Geoff.[15]
Brabham briefly and unsuccessfully campaigned his own second hand Formula One Maserati 250F during 1956, but his season was saved by drives for Cooper in sports cars and Formula Two, the junior category to Formula One.[16] At that time, almost all racing cars had their engines mounted at the front but Coopers were different, having the engine placed behind the driver, which improved their handling. In 1957, Brabham drove another mid-engined Cooper, again only fitted with a 2-litre engine, at the Monaco Grand Prix. He avoided a large crash at the first corner and was running third towards the end of the race when the fuel pump mount failed. After more than three hours of racing, the exhausted Brabham, who "hated to be beaten",[17] pushed the car to the line to finish sixth.[18] The following year, he was Autocar Formula Two champion in a Cooper, while continuing to score minor points-scoring positions with the small-engined Coopers in the World Drivers Championship and driving for Aston Martin in Sportscars.[6] His schedule necessitated a considerable amount of travel on the roads of Europe. Brabham's driving on public roads was described as "safe as houses",[19] unlike many of his contemporaries—on the way back from the 1957 Pescara Grand Prix, passenger Tony Brooks took over driving after Brabham refused to overtake a long line of lorries. In late 1958, Brabham rekindled his interest in flying and began taking lessons. He bought his own plane and on gaining his licence began to make heavy use of it piloting himself, his family, and members of his team around Europe to races.[20]
In 1959, Cooper obtained 2.5-litre engines for the first time and Brabham put the extra power to good use by winning his first world championship race at the season-opening Monaco Grand Prix after Jean Behra's Ferrari and Stirling Moss's Cooper failed.[21] More podium places were followed by a win in the British Grand Prix at Aintree after Brabham preserved his tyres to the end of the race, enabling him to finish ahead of Moss who had to pit to replace worn tyres.[22] This gave him a 13-point championship lead with four races to go. At the Portuguese Grand Prix at Monsanto Park, Brabham was chasing race leader Moss when a backmarker moved over on him and launched the Cooper into the air. The airborne car hit a telegraph pole, throwing Brabham onto the track, where he narrowly avoided being hit by one of his teammates but escaped with no serious injury.[23] With two wins each, Brabham, Moss, and Ferrari's Tony Brooks were all capable of winning the championship at the final event of the season, the United States Grand Prix at Sebring. Brabham was among those up until 1 am the morning before the race working on the Cooper team cars. The next day, after pacing himself behind Moss, who soon retired with a broken gearbox, he led almost to the end of the race before running out of fuel on the last lap. He again pushed the car to the finish line to place fourth, although in the event this was unnecessary as his other title rival, Brooks, finished only third.[24] His championship-winning margin over Brooks was four points. According to Gerald Donaldson, "some thought [his title] owed more to stealth than skill, an opinion at least partly based on Brabham's low-key presence."[9]
Despite his success with Cooper, Brabham was sure he could do better. He considered buying Cooper in partnership with Roy Salvadori and then in late 1959 he asked his friend Ron Tauranac to come to the UK and work with him, producing upgrade kits for Sunbeam Rapier and Triumph Herald road cars at his car dealership, Jack Brabham Motors, but with the long-term aim of designing racing cars.[25] Brabham continued to drive for Cooper, but on the long flight back from the 1960 season-opening Argentine Grand Prix, he had a heart-to-heart with John Cooper. John's father Charlie and the designer Owen Maddock had been reluctant to update their car, but although a Cooper had won in Argentina, other cars had been faster before they broke down.[26] Brabham helped design the more advanced Cooper T53, including advice from Tauranac.[27] Brabham spun the new car out of the next championship race, the Monaco Grand Prix, but then embarked on a series of five straight victories. He won from the front at the Dutch, French, and Belgian Grands Prix, where title rival Moss was badly injured in a practice accident that put him out for two months. Two other drivers were killed during the race. At the British Grand Prix, Brabham was closing on Graham Hill's BRM before Hill spun off, leaving Brabham the victory. He then came back from eighth place to second at the Portuguese Grand Prix after sliding off on tramlines and won after race leader John Surtees crashed. Brabham's points total was put out of reach when the British teams withdrew from the Italian GP on safety grounds.[28] Mike Lawrence writes that Brabham's expertise in setting up the cars was a significant factor in Cooper's 1960 drivers' and constructors' titles.[29]
Coventry Climax were late in producing the smaller 1.5-litre engine required for the 1961 season and the Cooper-Climaxes were outclassed by new mid-engined cars from Porsche, Lotus, and championship-winners Ferrari.[30] Brabham scored only three points and finished 11th in the championship. He had a little more success in the non-championship Formula One races, where he ran his own private Coopers and took three victories at Snetterton (26 March), Brussels (9 April), and Aintree (22 April).
The same year, Brabham entered the famous Indianapolis 500 oval race for the first time in a modified version of the Formula One Cooper. It had a 2.7 litre Climax engine producing 268 bhp (200 kW; 272 PS) compared to the 4.4 litre, 430 bhp (321 kW; 436 PS) Offenhauser engines used by the front-engined roadsters driven by all the other entrants. Jack qualified a respectable 17th at 145.144 mp/h (pole winner Eddie Sachs qualified at 147.481 mp/h), and while the front-engined roadsters were much faster on the long front and back straights, the rear-engined Cooper's superior handling through the turns and the shorter north and south sections kept the reigning World Champion competitive. Brabham ran as high as third before finishing ninth, completing all 200 laps. Although most of the doubters in the American Indycar scene claimed that rear-engine cars were for drivers who like to be pushed around, as Brabham put it, it "triggered the rear-engined revolution at Indy" and within five years most of the cars that raced at Indianapolis would be rear-engined.[31]
Brabham and Tauranac set up a company called Motor Racing Developments (MRD), which produced customer racing cars, while Brabham himself continued to race for Cooper. MRD produced cars for Formula Junior, with the first one appearing in mid-1961. Brabham left Cooper in 1962 to drive for his own team: the Brabham Racing Organisation, using cars built by Motor Racing Developments.[32][note 3] A newly introduced engine limit in Formula One of 1500 cc did not suit Brabham and he did not win a single race with a 1500 cc car.[33] His team suffered poor reliability during this period and motorsport authors Mike Lawrence and David Hodges have said that Brabham's reluctance to spend money may have cost the team results, a view echoed by Tauranac.[note 4] During the 1965 season, Brabham started to consider retirement in order to manage his team. Dan Gurney took the lead driver role, and the team's first world championship win, while Brabham gave up his car to several other drivers towards the end of the season. At the end of the season, Gurney announced his intention to leave and set up his own team and Brabham decided to carry on.[34]
In 1966, a new 3-litre formula was created for Formula One. The new engines under development by other suppliers all had at least 12 cylinders and proved difficult to develop, being heavy and unreliable. Brabham took a different approach to the problem of obtaining a suitable engine: he persuaded Australian engineering company Repco to develop a new 3-litre eight-cylinder engine for him.[35] Repco had no experience in designing complete engines. Brabham had identified a supply of suitable engine blocks obtained from Oldsmobile's aluminium alloy 215 engine and persuaded the company that an engine could be designed around the block, largely using existing components. Brabham and Repco were aware that the engine would not compete in terms of outright power, but felt that a lightweight, reliable engine could achieve good championship results while other teams were still making their new designs reliable.
The combination of the Repco engine and the Brabham BT19 chassis designed by Tauranac worked. At the French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux, Jack Brabham took his first Formula One world championship win since 1960 and became the first man to win such a race in a car of his own construction. Only his two former team mates, Bruce McLaren and Dan Gurney, have since matched this achievement. It was the first in a run of four straight wins for the Australian veteran. The 40-year-old Brabham was annoyed by press stories about his age and, in a highly uncharacteristic stunt, at the Dutch Grand Prix he hobbled to his car on the starting grid before the race wearing a long false beard and leaning on a cane before going on to win the race.[36] Brabham confirmed his third championship at the Italian Grand Prix and became the only driver to win the Formula One World Championship in a car that carried his own name.
The season also saw the fruition of Brabham's relationship with Japanese engine manufacturer Honda in Formula Two. After a generally unsuccessful season in 1965, Honda revised their 1-litre engine completely. Brabham won ten of the year's 16 European Formula Two races in his Brabham-Honda. There was no European Formula Two championship that year, but Brabham won the Trophées de France, a championship consisting of six of the French Formula Two races.[37]
In 1967, the Formula One title went to Brabham's teammate Denny Hulme. Hulme had better reliability through the year, possibly due to Jack Brabham's desire to try new parts first.[38]
Despite taking pole position in the first two rounds, mechanical problems halted his chances of victory. He spun numerous times in South Africa, and at Monaco, his engine blew up at the start, and the win went to his team mate Denny Hulme. At the Dutch Grand Prix, he scored his first podium of the season, with second place, behind Scotsman Jim Clark. He retired in the Belgian Grand Prix with another blown engine. He fixed this by winning the French Grand Prix at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans. He came fourth at the British Grand Prix, behind Chris Amon, his teammate Hulme, and Clark. At the German Grand Prix, he had a huge battle with Amon, and Brabham eventually finished ahead of the New Zealander, by only half a second. Hulme was the winner. At the first ever Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, he took a huge win, ahead of Hulme, in cold and rainy conditions. At the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Brabham had to finish second, only a few car lengths behind John Surtees, who took his last GP win. Hulme retired from the race, cutting the gap to 3 points between the two, as the circus headed for the United States, at Watkins Glen for the United States Grand Prix. Brabham outqualified his teammate, and finished fifth in the race, and with Hulme on the podium, this meant the championship chances were looking slim for Black Jack, as the circus went to Mexico for the championship deciding and final race of the season. Once again, Black Jack outqualified his teammate, and needed to win, with Hulme fifth or lower. But Jim Clark was simply too fast during the whole weekend, and dominated the race from pole to win, with Brabham finishing over 1 minute and 25 seconds behind. Hulme finished third, and so the New Zealander won the championship, while Brabham settled for second place. The team secured the constructors championship, with 67 total points scored, and 23 points ahead of Lotus, who scored a total of 44 points.
Brabham raced alongside his team mate Jochen Rindt during the 1968 season. It was a bad season for Black Jack. He retired from the first seven races, before scoring two points for fifth place at the German Grand Prix. He retired from the remaining four races. At the end of the year, he fulfilled a desire to fly from Britain to Australia in a small twin-engined Beechcraft Queen Air.[20] Partway through the 1969 season, Brabham suffered serious injuries to his foot in a testing accident. He returned to racing before the end of the year, but promised his wife that he would retire after the season finished and sold his share of the team to Tauranac.
"I felt very sad, [...] I didn't feel I was giving up racing because I couldn't do the job. I felt I was just as competitive then as at any other time, and I really should have won the championship in 1970. [...] I'd have been a lot better off if I'd stayed, but sometimes family pressures don't allow you to make the decisions you'd like to."
Finding no top drivers available despite coming close to bringing Rindt back to the team, Brabham decided to race for one more year. He began auspiciously, winning the first race of the season, the South African Grand Prix, and then led the third race, the Monaco Grand Prix until the very last turn of the last lap. Brabham was about to hold off the onrushing Rindt (the eventual 1970 F1 champion) when his front wheels locked in a skid on the sharp right turn only yards from the finish and he ended up second. While leading at the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch, he ran out of fuel at Clearways and Rindt passed him to take the win while Brabham coasted to the finish in second place. After the 13th and final race of the season, the Mexican Grand Prix, Brabham did retire. He had tied Jackie Stewart for fifth in the points standings in the season he drove at the age of 44. Brabham also drove for the works Matra team during the 1970 World Sportscar Championship season and won the final race of the season and his final top level race at the Paris 1000 km in October that year.[39] He then made a complete break from racing and returned to Australia, to the relief of his wife who had been "scared stiff" each time he drove.[40]
Following his retirement, Brabham and his family moved to a farm between Sydney and Melbourne. Brabham says that he "never really wanted"[41] the move, but his wife hoped their sons could grow up away from motorsport. As well as running the new venture, he continued his interest in businesses in the UK and Australia, including a small aviation company and garages and car dealerships. He also set up Engine Developments Ltd. in 1971 with John Judd, who had worked for Brabham on the Repco engine project in the mid 1960s. The company builds engines for racing applications.[42] Brabham was also a shareholder in Jack Brabham Engines Pty Ltd., an Australian company marketing Jack Brabham memorabilia.
The Brabham team continued in Formula One, winning two further drivers' championships in the early 1980s under Bernie Ecclestone's ownership. Although the original organisation went into administration in 1992, the name was attached to a German company selling cars and accessories in 2008, and an unsuccessful attempt to set up a new Formula One team the following year. On both occasions the Brabham family, which was unconnected to the ventures, announced its intention to take legal advice.[43][44] In September 2014, Brabham's youngest son David announced Project Brabham, a new team planning to use a crowdsourcing business model to enter the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship in the LMP2 category.[45]
Despite his three titles, and although John Cooper considered him "the greatest",[note 5] Formula One journalist Adam Cooper wrote in 1999 that Brabham is never listed among the Top 10 of all time, noting that "Stirling Moss and Jim Clark dominated the headlines when Jack was racing, and they still do".[46] Brabham was the first post-war racing driver to be knighted when he received the honour in 1978 for services to motorsport.[47] He has received several other honours and in 2011, the suburb of Brabham in Perth, Western Australia, was named after him.[48] A race circuit and an automotive training school were also named after him in the early 2010s.[49]
In retirement, Brabham continued to be involved in motorsport events, appearing at contemporary and historic motorsport events around the world where he often drove his former Cooper and Brabham cars until the early 2000s. In 1999, after competing at the Goodwood Revival at the age of 73 he commented that driving stopped him getting old.[46] Despite a large accident at the 2000 Revival, the first racing accident to put him in hospital overnight, he continued to drive until at least 2004.[41] By the late 2000s, ill-health was preventing him from driving in competition. In addition to the deafness caused by years of motor racing without adequate ear protection, his eyesight was reduced due to macular degeneration and he had kidney disease for which by 2009 he was receiving dialysis three times a week. Nonetheless, that year he attended a celebration of the 50th anniversary of his first world championship at the Phillip Island Classic festival of motorsport,[50] and in 2010 flew to Bahrain with most of the other Formula One world drivers' champions for a celebration of 60 years of the Formula One world championship. Brabham was the oldest surviving F1 champion.[51]
Brabham and Betty had three sons together: Geoff, Gary, and David. All three became involved in motorsport, with support from Brabham in their early years. Between them, they have won sportscar and single-seater races and championships. Geoff was an Indycar and sportscar racer who won five North American sportscar championships as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans,[52] while David competed in Formula One for the Brabham team and has also won the Le Mans race as well as three Japanese and North American sportscar titles.[53] Gary also drove briefly in Formula One, although his F1 career consisted of two DNPQ's for the Life team.[54] Brabham and Betty divorced in 1994 after 43 years. Brabham married his second wife, Margaret in 1995 and they lived on the Gold Coast, Queensland.[41] Brabham's grandson Matthew (son of Geoff) graduated from karts in 2010 and races in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship.[55] Another grandson, David's son Sam Brabham, stepped up to car racing from karts in 2013 when he made his debut in the British Formula Ford Championship.[56]
Brabham made his last public appearance on 18 May 2014, appearing with one of the cars he built.[57] He died at his home on the Gold Coast on 19 May 2014, aged 88, following a lengthy battle with kidney[58] or liver[59] disease. He was eating breakfast with his wife, Margaret, when he died.[60] In a statement on the family's website, Brabham's son David confirmed his father's death.[57]
"It's a very sad day for all of us," David Brabham stated. "My father passed away peacefully at home at the age of 88 this morning. He lived an incredible life, achieving more than anyone would ever dream of and he will continue to live on through the astounding legacy he leaves behind."[57]
Honours and awards[edit]
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE; 1966)[61]
- Australian of the Year (1966)[62]
- Knight Bachelor (1979)[47]
- Inductee, Sport Australia Hall of Fame (1985, elevated to Legend status in 2003)[63]
- Australian Sports Medal (2000)[64]
- Centenary Medal (2001)[65]
- Officer of the Order of Australia (AO; 2008)[66]
- Inductee, Australian Speedway Hall of Fame (2011)
- Named a National Living Treasure (2012)[67]
Complete Formula One World Championship results[edit]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
- * Indicates shared drive with Mike MacDowel
- † Indicates Formula 2 car
Non-Championship results[edit]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Complete Tasman Series results[edit]
Year | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
1964 | Brabham BT7A | LEV |
PUK Ret |
LON Ret |
2nd | 33 |
1965 | Brabham BT11A | PUK |
3rd | 21 | |
1966 | Brabham BT19 | PUK |
SAN Ret |
10th | 4 |
1967 | Brabham BT23A | PUK Ret |
3rd | 18 | ||
1968 | Brabham BT21E | PUK |
WAR Ret |
1969 | Brabham BT31B | PUK |
8th | 4 |
Indy 500 results[edit]
- ^ Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
- ^ Formula One rules did not at that time prevent the use of cars with enclosed wheels.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp. 14, 145–9 Brabham's and Tauranac's (Lawrence 1999 p. 32) accounts differ on whether the BRO was formed for the purpose of F1, or was already in existence.
- ^ Tauranac says (Lawrence (1999) p.48) that he feels a third mechanic would have reduced the reliability problems. Lawrence himself notes (Lawrence (1999) p.71) that 'If only Jack had been prepared to spend a little more money, the results could have been so much better'. Hodges (1990) p.32 notes 'Economy was a watchword. (...) It was this attitude, perhaps, which cost [Brabham] some races'.
- ^ Drackett (1985) p.17 "Of course, he turned out one of the best. In my book, taking everything into consideration, the greatest. He was a damn good driver because he used his nut. Later when Bruce McLaren joined the team, what Bruce didn't know, Jack taught him. They were both good engineers. They could set up the cars and they didn't mind getting their hands dirty and working on them."
- ^ "Jose Froilan Gonzalez, Ferrari's first F1 winner, dies aged 90". Autosport (Haymarket Publications). 15 June 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2013.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.20–21
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.21–22
- ^ a b Brabham, Nye (2004) p.26
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.33
- ^ a b c Unique (pp.30–31) "Jack Brabham potential world champion..." Article reproduced from a 1958 edition of Australian Motor Sport.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.35–37
- ^ Drackett (1986) pp.13–15
- ^ a b Donaldson, Gerald. "Jack Brabham". Formula One Administration Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.44–45
- ^ Unique p.58 "Jack Brabham" 1959
- ^ Dracket (1985) p.16
- ^ a b Lawrence (1989) p.80
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.54–56
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.56–57
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.59
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.61
- ^ Unique Jack Brabham – Star from Down Under p.27 reproduced from Sports Car Illustrated 1959
- ^ Unique p.111, a reproduction of the profile 'Deeds, not words' by Alan Brinton (1966)
- ^ a b Brabham (1971) pp.98—117
- ^ Rendall (2007) pp.215–216
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.85
- ^ Straw, Edd (7 May 2009 ) "Jack of All Trades" Autosport
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.89–97
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p. 22-4 & Henry (1985) p.19
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2005) pp.112–113
- ^ Lawrence (1999) pp.11–12
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2005) pp.115–121
- ^ Lawrence (1998) p.86
- ^ Lawrence (1998) p.87
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004)pp.133–136
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p. 31
- ^ Cooper, Adam (May 1999) "The world according to Jack" Motorsport p. 36 The article quotes Jack as saying "There's no way you could call those 1500-cc machines Formula One."
- ^ Lawrence (1999) pp.70–71
- ^ Henry (1985) p. 53
- ^ Henry (1985) pp.61–62
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p.221
- ^ Lawrence (1999) p.92 Hulme, Tauranac, and Frank Hallam, Repco-Brabham's chief engineer, all shared this view.
- ^ Brabham, Nye (2004) p.237
- ^ Drackett (1985) p.50
- ^ a b c Brabham, Nye (2004) pp.250– 253
- ^ "Engine Developments Ltd.". Inside F1, Inc. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Brabham hits out against use of his name". The Age. Australia. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Family to sue new 'Brabham' F1 team". The Age (Australia). 12 June 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Brabham team reborn, F1/sports cars targeted". Speedcafe. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ a b Cooper, Adam (1999). "The world according to Jack". Motor Sport.
- ^ a b "It's an Honour: Knight Bachelor". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 1978-12-30. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
- ^ New suburb honours Australian motoring legend – Media Statement- Office of the Minister for Regional Development and Lands. Published 1 May 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ http://www.skynews.com.au/sport/article.aspx?id=805500&vId=3590525
- ^ "When We Were Racing". Australian Story. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ Richard, Williams (16 March 2010). "Thrilling sight of those magnificent men in their timeless machines". The Guardian (London: Guardian News and Media Ltd.). Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ Long, Gary. "Geoff Brabham". Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Retrieved 9 November 2010. One Can-Am championship (1981), and four IMSA GT Championships (1988, 1989, 1990, and 1991). He won Le Mans in 1992.
- ^ "David Brabham profile". Crash Media Group. Retrieved 9 November 2010. One All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (1996) and two American Le Mans Series (2009 & 2010). He won Le Mans in 2009.
- ^ "Gary Brabham career summary". Formula One rejects. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "Formula Ford Championship Info – Drivers". formulaford.com.au. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
- ^ "Sam Brabham Joins Formula Ford Grid". British Formula Ford Championship. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
- ^ a b c "Australian F1 world champion driver Jack Brabham has died, aged 88". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "'I'm sure he would be so proud': Formula One champion Sir Jack Brabham to receive a state funeral". Daily Mail. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Sir Jack Brabham, ex-F1 champion, dies aged 88". BBC. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ Grover, Paul. "Former three-time World Formula One champion Sir Jack Brabham dead". Fox Sports. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
- ^ "It's an Honour: OBE". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 1966-06-11. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
- ^ Lewis, Wendy (2010). Australians of the Year. Pier 9 Press. ISBN 978-1-74196-809-5.
- ^ "Jack Brabham AO OBE – Motor Racing". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
- ^ "It's an Honour: Australian Sports Medal". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 2000-10-24. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
- ^ "It's an Honour: Centenary Medal". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 2001-01-01. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
- ^ "It's an Honour: AO". Itsanhonour.gov.au. 2008-01-26. Retrieved 2014-05-20.
- ^ "Seven added to national living treasure list". Lauren Farrow (Canberra Times). 5 March 2012. Retrieved 8 March 2012.
- Brabham, Jack (1971). When the Flag Drops. London: Kimber. ISBN 978-7-183-00920-4.
- Brabham, Jack; Nye, Doug (2004). The Jack Brabham Story. Motorbooks International. ISBN 0-7603-1590-6.
- Drackett, Phil (1985). Brabham—Story of a racing team. Arthur Baker Ltd. ISBN 0-213-16915-0.
- Henry, Alan (1985). Brabham, the Grand Prix Cars. Osprey. ISBN 0-905138-36-8.
- Lawrence, Mike (1998). Grand Prix Cars 1945–1965. Motor Racing Publications. ISBN 1-899870-39-3.
- Lawrence, Mike (1999). Brabham+Ralt+Honda: The Ron Tauranac story. Motor Racing Publications. ISBN 1-899870-35-0.
- Unique, (Various). Brabham – the man and the machines. Unique Motor Books. ISBN 1-84155-619-X.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jack Brabham. |
- Jack Brabham at the Internet Movie Database
- Jack Brabham career summary at DriverDB.com
- Jack Brabham driver statistics at Racing-Reference
- Jack Brabham statistics
- Interactive Jack Brabham Statistics – compare Jack with other F1 drivers
- Official Australian website
- Official US website
- Clip of Desert Island Discs appearance 19 December 1966
- 1926 births
- 2014 deaths
- Brabham family
- Australian Formula One drivers
- Formula One team owners
- Formula One people
- Cooper Formula One drivers
- Rob Walker Racing Team Formula One drivers
- Brabham Formula One drivers
- Formula One World Drivers' Champions
- International Motorsports Hall of Fame inductees
- Indianapolis 500 drivers
- British Touring Car Championship drivers
- Australian Touring Car Championship drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- Tasman Series drivers
- Racing drivers from Sydney
- Australian Knights Bachelor
- Sports players and officials awarded knighthoods
- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Officers of the Order of Australia
- Australian of the Year Award winners
- BRDC Gold Star winners
- Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal
- Recipients of the Centenary Medal
- Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees
- Australian Living Treasures
- World Sportscar Championship drivers
- 24 Hours of Daytona drivers
- Sportsmen from New South Wales
- Sportspeople from Sydney


text:
View Job
Data Entry/Admin Assistant
Ovex Tech Inc | Dallas TX 75203 USA | Full Time, Part Time | Posted: 12/28/2012
Job Descriptiontop
Do you possess a positve attitude with the ability to multi-task? Do you have a desire to learn? Whether you are experienced, in school, or would like to change career fields, here is your chance!
We are currently hiring for Part time Administrative Assistant Positions
30-35 hours a week needed.
*Candidates must be proficient using computers running multiple applications like MS Word/Outlook/Excel
*Basic knowledge of Quickbooks a plus
*Experience in bookkeeping a plus
*Ability to multi-task several projects
*Strong work ethics, organizational skills, and time management a must
*Must work well with a team
*Good typing skills
Job Detailstop
Location | Dallas, TX, 75203, United States |
Annual Salary | $35,000.00 - $40,000.00/Yearly |
Categories | Accounting - Finance |
Function | Administration |
Experience Years | 1 yrs |
Pref Degree | High School |
Location Maptop
Contact Informationtop
Contact Name | Ryan Burris |
How to apply | Applications are no longer accepted for this job posting. |


text:
Type: | Sport, 1 pitch, 90' |
Consensus: | YDS: 5.11a/b French: 6c Ewbanks: 23 UIAA: VIII- ZA: 23 British: E3 5c [details] |
Season: | Fall through Spring |
Page Views: | 1,413 |
Submitted By: | John Wilder on Jan 21, 2007 |
Climbing in Red Rocks after heavy rain can permanently damage the rock! MORE INFO >>> |
Comments on The Deluxe | Add Comment |
Show which comments —
By John Wilder From: Las Vegas, NV Dec 6, 2009 |
Climbed this route again yesterday, and .11d it is not. Marshall Amp is harder, imho. This route is .11a or so- maybe .11b if you're feeling generous! |
By NO MAS From: Las Vegas, NV Apr 8, 2012 |
Right anchor bolt on this route is FUBAR. Bolt wiggles and wobbles in all directions and at least one inch of threads are sticking out beyond the nut. When I tried to tighten it the bolt spins with the nut. Left anchor appeared to be OK but I couldn't check it because my wrench was only 1/2" and 9/16" and the nut on it was bigger, probably 5/8". Pretty sure both bolts are original. |


text:
Hole #16
The last 3 holes at UIGC are aptly named "Heartbreak Ridge," and for good reason. #16 starts it off with a drop off to the right of a fairway that narrows the closer to get to the green. Caution is smart here with a shot to the 150 yard stakes off the tee and an approach up the hill to a plateaued green that falls off on every direction.
Black | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
383 | 365 | 349 | 295 |


text:
Auxilio Inc. Has Multi-Bagger Potential And Downside Protection [View article]
Thanks for the comment, it is spot on. The dry spell was under a different CEO, and Mr. Flynn has done a great job so far... he impresses me quite a bit which is one reason I am so confident in AUXO's potential. I also agree that it has reached a critical mass in terms of recognition and customer count.
Regarding the large equipment sellers becoming more aggressive, this is possible but the bottom line is that any large seller managing their own products will tend to inflate their own margins over time given the switching costs involved. All of Auxilio's current contracts have been won via RFPs against those companies, and I expect its success to continue though again, it is possible things become more difficult down the road.
On the working capital, I'm curious to see what happens to it going forward, but overall I don't think their is reason for alarm. The company's burn rate is falling, and it is projected to go cash flow positive this, which tells me that there is a good chance that its $1.3 million of cash and $1.4 million LOC will hold them over (that's $2.3 million total since they need to maintain 400k in a bank account per the covenants of the LOC). They burned just over $1 million in the first 9 months of 2012, and that's at a very rapid roll-out rate. I would expect that as the margins for the new accounts improve they stand a better chance at nabbing non-dilutive financing. It would be great to see the LOC increased or another transaction that doesn't dilute shareholders to fuel the growth, but either way they're financing for the right reason.
Again, spot on of the warrants/options. I had meant to mention this, and it does impact the long term somewhat though not really material against the potential growth.
Completely agreed on the lack of price response to sales growth... weary shareholders, low liquidity, etc. all contribute to the market largely ignoring the massive growth, but that doesn't make it any less real. I'm certainly not in the camp that the company should slow down its growth right now to build up profitability and get more attractive financing. EMR and the current sales momentum give them reason, IMO, to go for every last RFP they can... if that means the company needs additional financing to finance the growth that's okay with me, because they're building up a roster of contracts that will be profitable for a long, long time.
Regarding acquisition potential, I agree that that would be a nice exit and have heard others mention that as well. -
Q2 Box Office Dip Creates Upside Opportunity In Reading International [View article]
Let's boil this down. We both seem to agree (as the textbooks do) that Reading should buy back stock so long as the return to shareholders from that buyback is greater than or equal to the potential return from other means of investment. We also both agree that Reading is trading at a 50% discount to its sum of parts value (roughly $12 per share). By my reckoning, that means that any alternate form of investment must return 100% to be competitive with buybacks. You give one example of such an investment (theater upgrades) but I find it highly, highly unlikely that the company is truly earning a 100% return on these (or any other investments), even with economies of scale and operating leverage, which is precisely why I think it should be aggressively buying back stock. If you can provide more details on how RDI's current investments exceed that threshold I would be thankful, though if it is to much of a bother no worries.
Also, I will point out that my numbers indicate that during 2011 RDI's shares outstanding actually increased slightly (a record high, in fact),meaning the buybacks were less than enough to cover shares issued for compensation.
I'm in complete agreement that Reading has assets that are significantly undervalued, though the NAV gains are worthless if not realized in a timely manner, especially since property prices in many places are essentially flat over the past half decade. Despite these gains, the stock is flat since 2003, under-performing many other investments in that time. I fear that this will continue to be the case until RDI convinces investors that it is serious about monetizing its assets, many of which it has put up for sale (Burwood, the Manhattan properties, etc.) only to later retain, leaving substantial returns available to shareholders. That lack of buybacks is symptomatic of a management team that is more concerned about building a family business than providing a strong return to investors, which, in my opinion, is why RDI is fairly undervalued relative to its current asset value. At this point, it is really up to investors do decide how much they trust the Cotter's, with a history of (openly conducted, for what it is worth) related party transactions, failed attempts to sell prized assets like Burwood, and refusals to buy back stock despite an extremely attractive return relative to alternatives, etc. I think there are more attractive options out there given this, though should I see strong shareholder moves out of RDI management my mind could change on a dime. Thanks for your time, hopefully anyone reading will have learned something about Reading.
Jared -
Q2 Box Office Dip Creates Upside Opportunity In Reading International [View article]
Thanks again for the reply, it is much appreciated. I believe you that Union Square wasn't for sale, though I'm not sure why Capstone would describe it as such. Regarding posting negative things about a company in which you own shares, I would encourage you to reread my post. I said that Capstone, as a large shareholder, wouldn't publish negative comments for "no reason." Meaning I see no reason for them to fabricate the fact that the company was so negligent about replying to their correspondences ( aka why would they lie to try to make the management of a company they own look bad when the management controls the company and thus is essentially untouchable?) . That's all I was referring to, and I completely understand (and understood) that shareholders often post negative things about their companies in order to spur positive changes in them, as is the case with this Capstone note. Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
Jared -
Q2 Box Office Dip Creates Upside Opportunity In Reading International [View article]
Thanks for the reply, it is much appreciated, unlike the threat to derail my future employment prospects you send me in a private message, which was shameful.
1) We probably won't agree on this in the end, but I remain convinced that the Capstone situation reflects negatively on the company, which apparently ignored both certified mail and phone calls from Capstone for over a month. If this has the result of a HQ shift that changes things somewhat, but there is still no excuse for a company that claims to be selling property not taking the steps to make accommodations for interested buyers with its old address/info (mail/call forwarding, etc.). In addition, it seems from Capstone's letters that Reading had originally been open to selling property B (Union Square theater) but then changed its mind. Again, I am fine with rejecting the offer, but it's hard not to agree that it appears they were difficult to work with from Capstone's side. After all, they are a shareholder and have little incentive to post negative things about management for no reason.
2) The textbooks are there for a reason, because they tend to be right. I agree that it is complicated somewhat by timing, but the fact is at this current time Reading's shares are worth twice what they are trading for if liquidated. Now, it is possible that the NPV of those properties can be greater than 2X if they are well managed and developed in a timely way, but there's little evidence that they will be (it's been a long long while for many of these properties), and there is plenty of evidence that management has a preference for the long term route regardless of what is actually in the best interest of shareholders, given the fact that RDI is a family business and they draw substantial salaries from the company. No complaints there, that's their right and I'll defend it to the end, but it also opens up a scenario in which the return to shareholders could lag what one would expect based on the undervalued assets, or even the return that could be realized right now via a liquidation. All investors in RDI are essentially deciding based on their internal odds of that happening, which is why the price remains substantially below the company's value despite numerous articles and lots of attention from various funds. After reading the Capstone letter and the article I linked to above, from someone who I know to be impartial (i.e. he has no substantial position to justify and no reason to admit that he was wrong), my estimate of the odds of a market-beating return on this stock went down significantly. Good luck with your investment, though, there's definitely lots of room for profit here given the attractiveness of those assets. If RDI gets serious about monetizing them in a timely manner (via a concrete announcement not just statements) I'll happily take another look and reconsider.
All best,
Jared -
Q2 Box Office Dip Creates Upside Opportunity In Reading International [View article]
It is interesting that you accuse me of trying to provide clicks to my classmate (and him of click-mongering), when you are clearly attempting to draw attention to RDI's by publishing articles in its favor on even the most minor news items (this article, in particular, largely repeats previous analysis without any event-based justification). Everyone wants their stuff read, and he's no more guilty of that than you, especially since your articles rarely reference the bear case for the company that he provides.
What's amazing is that you're bringing political rhetoric like "flip-flopping" into an investment discussion. My classmate met the company's CFO in person for an interview, and was unimpressed. His complaints are valid, as Reading clearly is not managing its capital to benefit individual investors (share buybacks are clearly more attractive that any additional investments into operating businesses right now, given the undervaluation which we both agree with), no matter how much lip service the company pays to individual shareholders, and has no intention of fixing that anytime in the near future. THAT is what his "flip-flop" (read: investment decision based on additional information) is primarily based on. He's right. RDI certainly has tremendous value, but if takes a decade to unlock it the resulting return may indeed be subpar.
Also, your article addresses the reasons for rejecting the Capstone proposal, which on the surface sound reasonable. But it does not address the lengthy delays and many unreturned correspondences Capstone went through in its attempt to purchase the property. Rejecting a deal for business purposes, I can understand, but failing to respond to an interested party in a timely manner is a very grave thing indeed, no matter how up front and
open management is a meetings.
So, my questions would be:
1. Do you have any information/justification for the gigantic delays when Capstone was communicating (or trying to, rather) with RDI about the proposed deal?
2. Do you think the company is pursuing the appropriate capital management strategy? Specifically, given the extreme undervaluation, shouldn't it be buying back stock?
Look forward to continuing this discussion without any more inflammatory language, as I do think RDI is a very interesting company to research given its innate undervaluation. If evidence arises that it will be unlocked then it can be very compelling indeed, but there's little evidence of that so far.
Q2 Box Office Dip Creates Upside Opportunity In Reading International [View article]
http://bit.ly/S45Gqp -
Does Microsoft Have A Master Plan? [View article]
Does Microsoft Have A Master Plan? [View article]
Does Microsoft Have A Master Plan? [View article]
Xinyuan Real Estate: Still the World's Cheapest Stock? [View article]
I would look to KB Home and Toll Brothers as companies that have lines of business roughly similar to what Xinyuan might do here, but of course we really don't know what they're planning. I agree that it would be mostly beneficial for legitimacy's sake, but I think XIN might be able to craft a competitive advantage in the U.S. The market for luxury property in New York and L.A. is HOT right now, primarily because of Chinese buyers. I imagine that many Chinese buyers could be tempted by the idea of a development, built for, aimed at and largely populated by Chinese buyers (Chinatowns, on the whole, are not well suited for these types of luxury buyers), so maybe Xinyuan can break in well their by greasing the wheels for the growing demand for homes in the U.S. from Chinese families. Just thinking aloud here though. -
Xinyuan Real Estate: Still the World's Cheapest Stock? [View article]
"To be a REIT, a company must distribute at least 90 percent of its taxable income to shareholders annually in the form of dividends."
If XIN did that its yield would be far in excess of 10%, but I don't think they have any intention of doing so now or in the near future. -
Xinyuan Real Estate: Still the World's Cheapest Stock? [View article]
1) XIN certainly isn't on the radar of the short sellers for now, as there are surely bigger fish to fry. Still, I think the Evergrande report is useful as it gives us an idea of what a Chinese Real-Estate take down would look like. I think I've made the case quite convincingly that if XIN is a fraud it doesn't seem to be an Evergrande-type fraud. Those patterns just aren't there, in fact in most cases it is the opposite.
2) I'm not sure that the rise from penny-stock status reflects short seller disinterest as you suggest. It could easily have been a result of many other factors. The stock going up, overall, is a positive omen for XIN's legitimacy. Could be very weakly positive, neutral at worst, but an increase in the PPS is not a fraud red flag, at least in my mind.
3) I think the "best case scenario" you give is a bit far fetched. Firstly, XIN's outlays are far more than just the dividends. They've paid down $60 million of long term debt, and their recent land purchases check out in every way I can do so (i.e. they mention that the land is adjacent to their existing projects and I can confirm that such adjacent land does exist and is empty). Most importantly, though, the model you're suggesting they're trying to follow with their fraud here simply won't work anymore. After the recent blow-ups, concern such as yours is commonplace. Were Xinyuan to abruptly cancel its dividend because investment is more attractive (after saying over and over again that they want it to be sustainable) or issue new shares or a new public debt offering or anything else like that, they would need to justify it against their massive cash hoard and highly profitable underlying financials, and they would almost certainly fail. Put another way: if they announced tomorrow that they were issuing 10 million new shares to finance a lucrative investing opportunity, the stock would collapse and they would pull in peanuts. If management is smart enough to run a fraud for over a decade (half of that under public scrutiny), then they ought to be smart enough to know that the jig is up... investors are on to the games these Chinese cos have played in the past.
Now, on a related note, the company has mentioned recently (repeatedly) that they are looking in to a development deal in the U.S. I'm curious (to see what the market would think independent on my own views) what you would think if XIN plopped down $100 million on a parcel of land or piece of property in the U.S. in an (obviously) verifiable way. If the company is legit as I suspect, I think this may be an ingenious move on the part of management to reassure investors, not to mention the potential benefits of a Chinese realtor selling U.S. property direct to Chinese citizens. Seems like a great way to dispel the idea that their cash isn't actually there. Thoughts? -
Xinyuan Real Estate: Still the World's Cheapest Stock? [View article]
Xinyuan Real Estate: Still the World's Cheapest Stock? [View article]
2 Sectors To Consider If Romney Wins [View article]
Thanks for the comment,
58 Comments


text:
Chuck & Laura Flagg of The Flagg Agency
firstname.lastname@example.com | (770) 355-9569
Your Personal Cruise Experts!
We thank you for visiting our website. Our goal is to match our clients with the cruise experience they not only want but also need. Let us help you find that perfect cruise!
Get Connected
Learn More
Regent Seven Seas Cruises - Receive 2-for-1 Fares, FREE Roundtrip Air*, FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions and more!
Group Cruises - Escape with your best friends, spend quality time as a family, or hold an unforgettable meeting or conference!
Singles Cruises - We work with SinglesCruise, specialists with customized vacations just for single travelers.
View the Current Compass Magazine!
Independently Owned and Operated
©Travel Leaders Leisure Group, LLC
Contact Us | Resources | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | About Us
Chuck and Laura Flagg
By Appointment Only
Canton, Georgia